Chain



June 22 1926.

E. F. M SPEIDEL CHAIN Filed Dec. 12. 1925 IN VEN TOR. wwh i/y A T 7 '0 RNEYS.

Patented June 22 1926.

UlTE STTES A EN? @FFHCE.

EDWIN F. M. SPEIDEL, OF EDGE-WOOD, RHODE ISLAND.

CHAIN.

Application filed December 12, 1925.. Serial No. 74,980.

' connected from one another for the purpose of inserting or removingone or more of these links to vary the operating length of the bracelet,provision being made for locking the hinge members against inadvertentdisconnection one from the other.

A further'object oi the invention is the provision of an extensionportion on one of the links which is arranged to act upon the nextadjacenthingeto prevent inadvertent disconnecting of the hinge elements.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features oi construction, as will be more fully described, andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my improved bracelet connected tothe opposite sides of a watch. I

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the main portion of the body link withthe back plate removed.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the back plate of the body membershowing the abutment for the spring and the coiled hinge elements on oneend thereof.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the connecting slide link showing thehook-shaped hinge elements which are to be connected to and disconnectedfrom the hinge elements of the body link by being slid laterallythereover, also showing the lock loop members on the opposite end ofthis link which are arranged to' engage the hinge members of theadjacent link to prevent an inadvertent unlocking movement of the hingeparts.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the under side of one of the chainlinks, showing a portion of the body link broken away to illustrate thelock members on the slide link as withdrawn from hinge engagingposition.

Figure 6 is a sectional end view through the body link and theconnecting link and showing the tension spring mounted therein.

Figure 7 is a side elevation showing the cooperating hinge elements ofthe body and connecting links 7 separated.

Figure 8 is a top View of the hingeelements showing them staggered andin position to be connected.

Figures 9 and 10 are edge and top views, respectively, showing the hingeelements partly connected.

Figures 11 and 12 are edge and top views, respectively, showing thehinge elements in position to be slid laterally one overthe other.

Figures 13 and 1 1 are edge and top views, respectively, illustratingthe link members as having been slid laterally and swung up intooperating position, also showing the lock lug members "on the rear ofthe slide link as having partly passed into the space between the hingeloops to prevent lateral unlocking movement thereof.

' Figures 15 and 16 are edge and top views, respectively, showing theslide link in position to present its lock loop into the spaces betweenthe hinge loops to prevent lateral movement of the hinge loops when theslide link is in its contracted position.

Figure 17 is a plan view sectioned on line 17-17 of Figure 1, showingthe lock loops on one oi'the slide links in position to prevent lateraldisengagement oi the hinge members and as being withdrawn from anotherof the links to permit such disengagement of the hinge members.

Figure 18 is a sectional side elevation on line 1818 of Figure 17.

It is found in the practical construction and use of bracelets of thischaracter, of advantage to provide means whereby the links may bereadily disconnectedone from the other for the purpose of adding to orremoving one or more links of the bracelet to change its working length;and to accomplish this in a simple and effective way, I have formed abracelet, the links of which have a hinge construction in which both thebody link and the connecting link are pro vided with hinge elementsshaped to be connected and disconnected from each other by being slidlaterally one over the other and my present invention relates moreparticularly to the construction of a stop or look for preventing suchlateral sliding action particularly while the links are in theircontracted or normal position, that is, in order to impart to the linksa lateral sliding disconnecting movement the links must be extended inorder to withdraw the lock lugs on one of the links from engagement withthe hinge lugs on the next adjacent link after which the link members.may be moved laterally relatively to each other for ready disengagement;and the following is a detailed description of the present embodiment ofmy invention and showing one construction of hinge by which theseadvantageous results may be accomplished WVith reference to thedrawings, 10 desig-' nates the body link whichistormed more or less inbox-shape comprising a body portion 11 having a broad top plate 12 toreceive suitable ornamentation, the edges of the'si-de walls 13 ofthisbody being provided with bendable flanges 1 1.

The back plate 15 is recessed longitudinally on its opposite edges andis adapted to be set upon the body member, the flange 1 1 thereotbeingrolled inwardly into these recesses '16 t'o firmly securethe back platein position on the body thus forming a boxsh'aped link member.

Oneedgeof this back plate 15, is turned inwardly, as at 17, to providean end-abut ment for the tension-spring 18-and theopp'osite end of thisback plate is provided with a pair of hinge members or fingers 19 whichare offset laterally from the center thereof and which members have aspace 20 between them approximately the width of one of the members.

As best illustrated in Figure 4,, a connecting slide link21'ismountedinthe box link to slide endways' therein, its rear wall providingan abutment tor theopposite end of thesprin'g 18-, the opposite end 23of'this slide link being provided with a pair of hook-shaped hingememhersor fingers 24, preferably of a width substantially that of thehinge membersdfionthe back plate-of the'body and the space'between thehinge members 24.- is of a widthto receiv'e the'hinge members 19 on saidback plate, whereby as best illustrated in Figures -10 and 1-2"thesehinge elements may becaused to interlock or interengage with each other.

On the wall 22 otthe slide link, I have showntwoloop-shaped stop lugs27, buta single lug may be'employed if desired and these lugs may bespaced and shapedto fit into the spaces 28" between the hingeloops 19and 20 when assembled to :prevent' a disconnectingmovement of thesame,-as presently described.

Themembers -24 are-of asize tofit-over the coils of the hingemembers 19'so that when these hinge members are in axial alignment they may slidelaterally relatively to each other'intotheaposition best illustrated inFigures 14 and17', one pair being hooked over those of the other pairandthen beslid laterally one over-the other, one forminga pivotonwhieh'the other swings. In the construction of these links I preferablyso form the same that the hinge loops can be engaged one with the otheronly when the links are set at substantially right angles to each other,as illustrated'in Figures 7 and 8, and after these hinge members havebeen slid into operating position one over the other the links areswungback into substantially longitudinal alignment or to take the curve ofthe arm when positioned thereon, in w 11Cl1 position'the edge 26 0ttheconnecting link enters between the side walls 13 of the box link thuspositively preventing lateral disengaging movement between these linksexcept when again swung down into the abovementioned-right angleposition.

It is found in practice that a purchaserin examining a-braceletottenswings these;links down at a sharp-angle oneto the other, and in orderto positively prevent inadvertent separation when the links are insuchposition, I have provided an auxiliary lock in the form of one ormore lugs or loops 2.7 formed on the rear wall of the slide link, whichlugs or loops are adapted, whenthe slide link is in contractedposition,to:enter the spaces .ZSbetween the hinge'loops- -2-1--and 19and so positively prevent a lateral diseng-agementoi the hinge elementswhile this link 21 is in its normal or contracted position where it ispressed by the coil'spring 18 and when it is desired to disconnect thehinge elements it is'only necessary to slide the connecting link-21forwardly-to extended position against its spring pressui-e suflicientdistance to withdraw the lug 27 from the hinge loops, which permitsafree'lateral or disconnecting movement of the linkswhen they stand asharp angle'to each other,-as illustrated in Figures 7 and 9.v

In assembling the Eparts, it is only necessary to place the connectingslide link 21 in the box link, insert the spring 18, then aply'=thecover plate 15 to thebox linkand turn the edge flanges overtoloek the same together.

It is now only necessary in connectingthe different link units to insertthe hinge elements 2 1 of the connecting link between the hinge elements19-ot thG'bOX link whilesetat a sharp angle toeach other, and'then slidethese'hinge element-s one over the-other and swing the links up intotheir normal working position where they are locked againstdisengagement bythe edges 26 and the-lock lugs 27, any any number ofsuch links may be thus connected to form a-cha'in of any desired length.

By my improved construction of chain the links of the different unitsmay be quickly connected and disconnected from each other for thepurpose of removing a damaged link or'insertinga fresh link for thepurpose of adjusting the operating length of the bracelet by simplyswinging one link down at substantially a right angle to the other andwithdrawing the lugs of the slide link from between the hinge lugs, as

above described. I

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the constructionillustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve theprivilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the deviceis susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by theterms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a chain structure, a series of link units each comprising a boxlink and a slide link therein, the slide link of one unit beingdetachably connected to the box link of the next unit, and means carriedby each slide link for locking its box link against detachment from theslide link of the next unit when said links are in contracted position.

2. In a chain structure, a series of link units each comprising a boxlink and a slide link therein, hinge fingers on each of said links, thehinge fingers on the slide link interlocking with those of the box linkof the next unit and stops carried by each slide link for maintainingsaid links in interlocking relation, said stops being withdrawn uponexpanding movement of the links of the unit.

3. In a chain structure, a series of link units each comprising a boxlink and a slide link therein, the slide link of one unit beinglaterally slidable into engagement with portions of the box of the nextunit for detachably connecting it thereto, and a stop carried by eachslide link for engaging said unit engaging portions to prevent lateralmovement when said slide link is in contracted position, said stop beingwithdrawn from engagement upon an extending movement of the slide linkrelative to its box link.

4. In a chain structure, a series of body links, a connecting linkslidable in the body links for extendibly connecting said body links,said body and connecting links having spaced interengaging hingeelements movable into and out of engagement with each other by arelative lateral sliding movement, and a locking member carried by oneof the links arranged to be inserted between the hinge elements toprevent an unlocking action thereof.

5. An extendible chain structure comprising a series of box links, aconnecting link slidable in each" box link, interconnecting hingeelements carried at one end of each box link and the end of the nextadjacent connecting link, said elements being laterally slidable oneover the other, a lock member carried by the opposite end of theconnecting link to engage the joint elements of the adjacent hinge toprevent lateral disengaging movement of said links.

6. An extendible chain structure comprising a series of box links, aconnecting link slidable in each box link, interconnecting hingeelements carried at one end of each box link and the end of the nextadjacent connecting link, said elements being laterally slidable oneover the other, and a lock member carried by the opposite end of theconnecting link to engage the joint elements of the adjacent hinge toprevent lateral disengaging movement of said links, said lock memberbeing withdrawable from locked position by an expanding movement of saidlinks.

7 An extendible chain structure comprising a series of body links, aseries of con necting links slidable in the body link, each link of eachseries having a plurality of cooperating laterally spaced apart hingeelements arranged to be connected and disconnected by sliding one overthe other laterally, and a locking member on the links positioned toenter the space between the hinge elements for preventing such lateralmovement when in contracted position.

8. An extendible chain structure comprising a series of body links, aseries of connecting links slidable in the body link, each link of eachseries having a plurality of cooperating laterally spaced hinge elementsarranged to be connected and disconnected by sliding one over the otherlaterally, stop means inoperative to prevent the separation of the jointmembers when the links are arranged at a sharp angle to each other, andauxiliary stop means arranged to cooperate with the first mentioned stopto assist in preventing separation of the hinge members except when thelinks are moved to expanded position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EDWIN F. M. SPEIDEL.

